


Collapsed

by Blessed_by_Farore



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action, Adventure, Badass Zelda, Even more badass Impa, Friendship, Gen, Haven't decided the shippings, I have almost everything planned out, Let's see if I can make a reference to every Zelda game, Lot's of plot and fluff and angst and action, Most shippings will be slow-burn since I want them to develop naturally, No specific game, Non-evil Ganondorf, Nonbinary Sheik, Or by demand if enough fans want it to go a certain way, Reasons why mortals should not mess with time, Selectively Mute Link, Though I'm pretty chill if people want to suggest something
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-01-22 23:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12493528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blessed_by_Farore/pseuds/Blessed_by_Farore
Summary: Power. Wisdom. Courage. Since the beginning of Hyrule itself, there has always been the legend of Triforce - a tale of many incarnations of bloodshed, war, hope and despair. It is a tale of a determined princess, a kindhearted champion and an ambitious desert king. It has always been Power against Courage aided by Wisdom. The cycle has never been broken.A new cycle has begun. This time, however, something is wrong. The desert king has abandoned his crown. The princess is concerned over a  fatal mistake of a past life. And the champion considers both close friends.Something dark is lurking in Hyrule. Evils that should have been sealed or destroyed now terrorize the innocent. Power, Wisdom and Courage must work together, or lose themselves - and their loved ones - to their pasts.





	1. Prologue

_Before the concept of time or language existed, there was nothing. Only a void filled by three celestial beings. Din, Nayru and Farore. The three beings ruled over the void for eons. Until, the three goddesses decided to change that. They gathered their power._ _Din – the most powerful – crafted a land of red earth, placing fire in its core. Nayru – the wisest – created the law and order to the chaos of the land. Farore – the most courageous – designed every living creature and being, breathing life into the world. When their job was completed, they left behind the Triforce and hid it in to mortal realm, maintaining the balance over the land._

_However, they grew tired. And in their exhaution an evil threatened their creation. Demise. He searched the land for Triforce they left, and manipulated some of their creations into aiding him. Demise was the most ambitious, and was a demon who wished to strip the goddesses of their most devoted. He left them with no choice but to send the young goddess Hylia to deal with them. After Demise was banished, along with those who feel to his corruption, the goddesses left the Triforce with Hylia and instructed her to craft a blade that would be known as evil's bane._

_But the goddesses thought towards the future and the chance that one might aim to claim the Triforce and disrupt the balance again. Hylia was powerful, but even she had her limits. Farore was distraught at the idea her creations could be destroyed by greed, while Din's ire burned at the idea of the destruction that would follow. Nayru remained calm and thought. Eventually, she had a plan._

_They would choose three, powerful and worthy mortals to wield a piece of the Triforce each. One who was powerful, one who was wise and one who was courageous. They would be the guardians of the realm with Hylia and would stop every attempt to steal the Triforce. With these champions of the goddesses, the Triforce and their creation would be safe._

_It did not go to plan._

_Hylia fell for a mortal and shed her divinity for him. The seal over Demise weakened, and when the reincarnated mortal defeated him he cursed their future incarnations with his own. The three goddesses acted quickly at the news. Naryu granted Hylia's incarnation with the Triforce of Wisdom, seeing as she was the wisest of the three. Farore granted the mortal the Triforce of Courage, as despite his mortality, he still managed to be brave in the face of evil. Din granted Demise's incarnation the Triforce of Power, to hold back Demise's influence over him as much as possible._

_The goddesses watched their battles over the Triforce. Each lifetime they'd reincarnate and repeat. Occasionally one of them would manage to get their hand on the full Triforce. But the battle continued, seemingly for eternity throughout three different timelines._

_Until something strange happened. Something unexpected. Something that caused the goddesses to take action._

* * *

"So, the Gerudo Prince abdicated his throne? Why would he do that?"

"Apparently, he only wants the throne if his people are certain he has the discipline to rule. It's a smart move for someone his age – he's very young. Not that much older than Zelda, really."

The King and Queen of Hyrule looked over to their young daughter at that. Princess Zelda had managed to convince Sheik to play dolls with her. The current game involved the story of a pirate named Tetra, who faced off against a somewhat adorable stuffed squid named Bellum (though anyone who asked the princess would hear that Bellum was meant to be a giant evil eyeball monster, not a squid).

Sheik, who was only older than her by three years, didn't seem to mind. They had been trained by Impa, and seemed interested in joining the her in guarding the royal family. They considered it their job to keep the young princess happy and safe.

Someone knocked on the door, and after the king stated it, entered the room. Zelda squealed in delight before she ran up and wrapped her arms around Sheikah woman. Sheik nodded respectfully at his guardian. Impa, after she managed to get the princess to release her, bowed at the two rulers.

"Lady Impa, you're back earlier than we expected. Any news?" King Daphnes asked.

"I'll deliver my full report in a moment. First, I thought the princess would be interested in meeting someone I met during my travels" she turned her head back towards the door, "Come on,  _Little Wolf_."

There was a pause for a moment. Then the door opened slowly. A young boy walked into the room, head down and avoiding eye contact. He looked up only for a moment locate Impa, before he latched onto her and hid behind her legs. His tear-streaked face did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

"'Little Wolf'? What did he do to earn that nickname?" the queen asked.

Impa chuckled, "You'd understand if you saw him eating, Your Majesty."

The king nodded, "Fair enough. Is he able to talk, or just shy?"

"Just shy it seems. Though the only words I've gotten from him where when he was asleep" the Sheikah answered, "Go on, Little Wolf. You can't stay attatched to my side forever."

The young boy looked up at her with large eyes before he slowly moved away to stand next to her. His gaze was at his feet, but it was an improvement of what he was like before. Zelda approached him and introduced herself and Sheik, before trying to see if she could get his name from him. Impa decided it was alright to leave him for a moment and approached the king and queen.

"There in nothing left of his village expect a massacre and very few survivors. That was the disturbance in the north. I've decided to take care of him until he states that he wishes otherwise" Impa whispered.

The queen looked at the boy again, this time with pity for the recent orphan. The king merely nodded before he turned towards his daughter, "Zelda, why don't you show this young man all the spare rooms we have. He'll be staying with us for a while, so he can choose which room he wants."

"Okay" Zelda smiled, "Come on, the rooms are this way."


	2. CH 1: Ten Years Later

A bead of sweat teased Link's forehead, but he ignored it. Instead, he focused on the girl in front of him. The outfit she wore wasn't that much different from his own, though it was pink with some gold embroidery around the trim. It also came with an easily removed skirt that hid her pants and less princess-like attire, but that was discarded due to the fact they were in combat. The girl's hair was cut short (an act of defiance towards her father) and curled around her face, her bangs kept out of her eyes by a circlet crown around her head. Her sword and shield were tucked away as she pulled another arrow from her quiver.

Link rolled to the side as Zelda fired another arrow at him, followed by a few more that he barely dodged in the nick of time. With effort, he pulled out his own bow and aimed an arrow between her blue eyes. When he released, he used the distraction to gain his footing and unsheathe his sword. He charged the princess, determined for a victory. The princess parried easily and then countered.

That began the dance of the blades, the clang of their swords echoed though the garden that they had chosen to occupy. Zelda was faster and had balance and flexibility on her side. But Link was strong and cunning. He started to swing his sword down in a diagonal cut, which the princess moved her shield to block. With an opening, Link rammed his shield forward.

The princess drove forward herself, through Link's legs and barely brought her shield up to block a sword aimed at her throat. She then rolled backwards before she returned to her feet, a discarded bow in her hand. Link was back dodging arrows, and he glared at her. She wanted him to tire out first. So, Link did the one thing he knew you should never do.

He threw his sword.

He ran forward to follow it even before the princess had rolled out of the way. He picked up the princess's forgotten sword and pointed at her. His horrible idea had actually worked out well in this situation. He had won the match.

"Impa would kill you if she saw that you had thrown your sword" Zelda laughed.

Link offered the princess his hand, "I know and I'd never do it in a real fight. I just happened to know that you don't know how to catch a sword. You might be more skilled than I am with the bow, but your sword skills need some more work."

Zelda took the offer, "I haven't been able to train as much as you. My father's rule about me needing an escort everywhere I go is annoying me, and not everyone who escorts me thinks I should be spending my time training. So, I end up stuck in the library all day."

"Aren't you going to be getting an appointed knight soon?" Link asked, "Which is a bit extreme, since you have both Impa and Sheik acting as your nursemaids."

"Preaching to the choir. And I won't get to choose my own appointed knight, that decision will go to my father" the princess sighed, "So, you've trained with some of the new recruits a couple of times. What's my chances?"

"Most of the new recruits don't even know how to hold a sword properly." Link answered, "But there are a few good recruits. Aryll is decent with a sword. The twins, Hilda and Ravio, could also be considered. I heard this girl named Linkle is good, but I haven't seen her in action much since she's always late due to getting lost. Then there's this Groose guy who needs an attitude check. Knowing your father, it'll probably be all of them."

"What do you think I'll have to do to get him to dial back on the over-protectiveness? He's practically suffocating me" she groaned.

The male Hylian shrugged, "You know the only reason why he's over-protective is because he doesn't want to lose you. Your mother's death was hard on him, and he can't grieve properly since he has to be a strong leader."

Zelda sighed and decided to aid the young man in collecting all the equipment they had used during their little spar. After ten years of living together, Link and Zelda had gotten close. For the first year the two had spent together, Link had refused to speak to anybody. That hadn't stopped Zelda from trying however, and her persistence had earned her the reward of being the first person to discover his name. That day only encouraged the princess and her tactics to get him to open up. Her success also encouraged Impa and Sheik to pester him into communicating as well.

Link was happy that they cared about him. After all, without the kindness that they all showed him ten years ago, he didn't know where he'd be. Still, he might be able to talk to them about how he felt now, but he couldn't manage to talk about his past. That event, he wasn't even sure if his memories about that night where true – they didn't seem plausible. Everything changed for him that day, and while some of it was good, he felt broken in a way he couldn't describe.

"Hey, you okay?"

Link turned to see a concerned Zelda staring at him, "I'm fine. Just lost in thought."

"What an accomplishment, Your Highness. I can't get him to notice me when he has that broody-face."

Link almost jumped at that, while Zelda seemed surprised and whirled at the direction of the newcomer. Sheik was the only person, other than Impa, who could sneak up on Link – and Impa was nice enough to make sure everyone knew she was coming most of the time. At twenty, Sheik was rather attractive. Long blond hair tied back in a braid, red eyes that practically pierced your soul and a decently built body. Girls called them handsome, boys called them beautiful. And anyone who asked what their gender was got nothing but a knife as a reply. Link never got the point of the mask - there weren't many blond Sheikah, and Sheik's harp gave them away. He knew better than to question it, though.

"I don't brood" was Link's reply.

Despite their mask, it was obvious that Sheik was smirking, "Of course you don't. I just came by to inform Princess Zelda that I have rearranged my schedule and can now escort her for a while. Over a month, at the very least."

"Really? Thanks Sheik, I owe you big time" Zelda all but squealed in delight, "Impa is a great teacher, but she doesn't want me to focus on much other than my archery - she thinks that self-defense is important, but I shouldn't be going into fights needlessly. I am a princess, so I should be protected. I could really use your training lessons."

"Your fighting style is rather similar to my own, so teaching you how to fight should be easy" They replied with a gentle look in their eyes.

Link smiled at the two, "I leave you two at it then. I was planning on going to Castle Town to look around the market, maybe find something interesting."

"Be careful, alright Link. That's an order from your princess" Zelda winked, "And try to have some fun."

* * *

A lot of honorable people traveled to Castle Town. It was a great place to make money, and a chance to catch a sight of the royal family. It made it a busy, colorful, crowded, noisy place. It was always an adventure to leave the castle's grounds and embrace the scene. It wasn't just Hylians who frequented the town's street. A couple of Zora made use of the streams and fountains. A few Gerudo danced in their colorful clothes in perfect sync with the music. A Rito seemed quite interested in a headdress at a stall. There was a horde of Goron children who almost ran a few people over at one point; an attempt to escape their older guardian.

However, Link wasn't easily fooled. He knew that some people tried to take advantage of the naivety of others. So he was careful, examined every item to make sure he wasn't wasting the palace's funds. When he saw the saddle, he knew immediately that it was not only over-priced, but was poorly made. It fell apart the second he picked it up to look at it.

Unfortunately for Link, the merchant seemed to believe otherwise. Now, he apparently had to fork over two-hundred and fifty rupees for 'damaging his merchandise'. He was given a decent amount of money from the generosity of the royal family, but he didn't carry two-hundred rupees on himself. And Link had a feeling the guy wouldn't listen to any claims of knowing the royal family. He could run, and there was a good chance that he could lose the guy in the crowd. But the guy saw his face, so there was a good chance Impa would find out about it and he'd not only be in trouble but he'd disappoint her. That was one thing he couldn't do. So he had to stall, which was hard since he really didn't like talking to people.

The merchant's hand raised for a moment and Link held his breath - until the merchant caught a bag. He opened it, and Link could count a couple of gold rupees inside before it was closed.

"Is that enough?"

It was a voice Link didn't recognize and Link was surprised to turn behind himself and see that someone who wasn't a Sheikah had managed to sneak up on him. The man had a dark-toned skin, was muscular and about six-feet in height, with hair as red as Din's flames and eyes a deep green. The young Hylian muttered a curse under hid breath. Half-Gerudo males were extremely rare (practically impossible, actually) and any that did exist would have very little wealth. Which meant that Link was just saved by the rightful king of the Gerudo, their prince and only male of their race. He had been saved by Ganondorf.

The merchant didn't notice, "Yeah. Beat it, I have a business to attend to."

"Of course. We'll be out of your hair" the Gerudo replied with a polite small and a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

As soon as they where out of earshot from the merchant, the man spoke up again, "I wonder if he needs help with getting that stick out of his ass."

"You... you overpaid" Link replied, "I mean, thank you for... you know... helping... but you overpaid and I don't have enough to repay you."

There was a pause. Followed by laughter, "That's not exactly a surprise. I'm not a detective, but I managed to figure out that if you couldn't pay for that bastard's crap, you couldn't repay me for helping. Besides, there isn't much of a debt anyway."

Link looked at the man funny for a moment, while the Gerudo looked at the price-tag. The redhead closed his eyes and made a fist in front of himself. There was a flash of red, and then he opened his fist to showcase the bag he had given to the merchant. That explained why Link hadn't noticed him - he had a decent amount of magical power and without some of his own, he'd never be able to pick up on the man. The prince of thieves smirked at his achievement before he pocketed his bag and out of sight.

"Don't worry, I left the two-hundred and fifty. And if you feel a need to pay me back for that, there is one thing you could do for me" Ganondorf stated.

Link nodded, "Anything."

"I came to Castle Town with a couple of my girls for sightseeing. There isn't much to see back home; except for a lot of sand and pretty girls. Castle Town reminds me too much of the market days at the Gerudo Fortress. Since you're a local, you could probably show me something a little more interesting" Ganondorf grinned.

"And what does the prince of Gerudo consider interesting... if you don't mind me asking" the Hylian asked with a slightly suspicious tone.

There was a snort, "Despite the rumors I'm certain are circling about about me, I have no interest in the castle nor do I plan on robbing or killing the royal family. I lived in a desert, a river or forest would be a new sight to me. And you can drop the title Link- my friends call me Gan."

"I didn't mean it like that, it was just an oddly- how did you know my name?"


	3. CH2: Traveling with The King of Thieves

Hyrule Field had been Link's favorite getaway since he had arrived at the castle. It had always terrified and frustrated Impa; she never wanted him to get hurt or put himself in danger. There was just a part of him that longed for exploration and adventure. So, after the fourth time Impa had discovered him in the field, he started his lessons with swords. That hadn't stop the Sheikah woman from sending Sheik to watch out for him every time Link had decided to go for a stroll in the fields, but at least he was better prepared for any situation that occurred around his travels.

There had been a slight increase in monster activity over the years, and no one could guess the cause. Rumors spread across Hyrule of the growth in monster activity being an omen of disaster, some blamed the connection with other races, others blamed the royal family and there were people who decided to prepare for a war that wasn't coming. No matter what the cause, nothing had actually happened and Link chalked it up to the fact that no one actually went looking to hunt down monsters and, therefore, they've reproduced to the point where they need an increase in territory.

Link just hoped that there wouldn't be any problem with monsters today. He didn't think that the Gerudo would like it if he was the reason behind a monster attack on their only male. Without a horse, it would take too long to travel down the safe path to where he wanted to take Ganondorf – well, the pit-stop he wanted to take Ganondorf to. He wasn't sure what the Gerudo would consider exciting, so he wanted to make sure the man got what he asked. Ganondorf, despite his kind behavior, was a bit intimidating and his ancestors had a horrible history of war and bloodshed. Link wasn't bigoted enough to believe that the man behind would declare war on the royal family just because of his blood – but if he felt that he had been wronged by someone who was close to the royal family… He was a bit paranoid. Sheik may have been right about him needing to learn to relax.

"That is a interesting little trinket you have there. Are you lost in thought, or just casting a curse on me?"

Link grimaced and faced Ganondorf, "Sorry. I do that a lot."

"There isn't a need to apologize, I was just making sure my guide actually knew what he was doing. Is it a gift from a special someone? A girlfriend, perhaps?" Link expected that question, he was asked it a lot.

Ganondorf had been referring to the necklace Link wore. The chain was simple, but attached was a stone seemingly carved into the shape of wolf. The eye of the wolf was a bright blow stone that seemed to glow in the dark. It was very important to him; he never took it off, even when in combat, and he usually clutched it whenever he was deep in thought. It was also a comfort, since he usually played with it when he felt anxious in a social setting (something that happened more than than he'd like). He never discovered how much it had cost, but with every detail he could only estimate that the price had been high.

The Hylain shrugged, "There was a confession. I didn't return it. We're still close, though."

"At least you were honorable enough to be honest. Most of the men that come into The Fortress don't show the girls the same respect" Ganondarf held a dark look that faded as he changed the topic, "Anyway, I was curious about where we were headed. You do know where you are going, don't you?"

"I found something strange a while ago. It's a long walk, so we're getting horses" Link merely replied.

"If we needed horses, you could have asked. I brought my own when I traveled here and they should be with a good friend of mine. It would have been easier to get them" the Gerudo reasoned.

"I'd rather ride my own horse. Besides, the less people who see me in Castle Town, the better."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow at that, "Well that raises a few questions. Is there something you're not telling me about yourself? The royal family's relationship with Gerudo are kind shaky and I really don't need to deal with any more drama."

"I'm not meant to be in Hyrule Field... Some people worry unnecessarily, that's all" the Hylian looked forward and spotted the Lon Lon Ranch's sign in the distance.

The Lon Lon Ranch was another one of Link's favorite places to hide out and relax. He always had a connection with animals, and it was the only place Epona was comfortable with staying when not with Link. She was a bit of a rebellious little horse, if she didn't like you, she'd let you know... painfully... not many at the castle liked the idea of having her around. The Hylian spent a lot more time here than at Castle Town; he liked the peaceful ranch more than the busy streets. The princess visited a couple of times when she wanted a noble steed of her own, so there was always a reason to go. And even Impa was alright with him going to the ranch (the overprotective Sheikah's only problem was the fact that he liked wander away from the ranch).

As they approached, Link only grinned when he spotted a familiar figure near the fence. Malon only noticed the two just as they had arrived, and greeted them with a wave and a raised eyebrow (probably at Link's unexpected company). Malon had been looking over another horse and nodded to let them both know that she'd be with them afterwards. The boy could only grin and shake his head - Malon also practiced helping injured animals, healing their wounds or otherwise. So it wasn't too uncommon for to be busy when he decided to visit.

It wasn't long before Malon walked over with a grin, "This is a bit of a surprise, you're not usually one to bring over guests."

Ganondorf grinned and held out his hand, "I apologize if I've caused any disruption, Link was just showing me some interesting sights around Hyrule. My name is Ganondorf."

"Malon. It's a pleasure to meet you, we don't get many Gerudo around here" she smiled, "though I do have to ask, should I expect an annoyed Sheikah to appear as soon as you leave?"

"Impa is busy, she won't know a thing" Link shrugged.

Malon frowned, "Of course she doesn't know. Well, whatever you plan on doing, try to avoid trouble. Or at least avoid getting seriously injured."

"We'll be fine, we're not doing anything dangerous" he retorted.

"Oh, sure you're not. You just want to look at the flowers and talk about the weather" Malon shook her head before she turned to go inside, "You know where Epona is, I'll see we can get another horse for your friend."

"Thank you!" Link called and Malon disappeared.

There was a pause for a moment before Ganondorf chuckled, "A friend of the royal family? You could have mentioned that."

"Impa raised me since I was eight. She worries more than she needs to sometimes. You won't get into trouble if she finds out" Link stated.

"I highly doubt that since she seems to dislike me. I think she blames me for what the previous Gerudo kings had done to the royal family. Their wars and schemes had been horrible, and tainted the earth red with innocent blood - and the Gerudo have only been getting along with the other races for a couple of decades. If you can even call it 'getting along'" he shook his head with a rueful smile.

"She can't blame you for that. You had nothing to do with any of that."

Ganondorf ignored the statement, "So, is this Malon the one who gifted you with token of affection you cherish?"

The blond laughed hard at that, "Definitely not."

Link was spared being asked the identity as Malon came back with a rather large horse. It made sense though, Ganondorf was a rather large man, so the horse would need the strength to carry him. He remembered the horse's name, Shade, as Malon had to separate him from Epona because Link's horse had taken a liking to him. He was strong and gentle, so he would easily be able to aid Ganondorf in his quick trip with Link. At that, the Hylian whistled a tune and waited, knowing that Epona would remember her call anywhere. He had been right, of course, and had even managed to surprise his Gerudo companion for a moment (something Link thought of as a small victory).

Ganondorf recovered quickly enough, "So then, little guide, where are we headed? You did promise me an interesting sight."

* * *

It hadn't been a long travel before they had discovered something Link had only managed to find by accident. The Hylian had actually been surprised by that, but he had always had a knack for find things. He had never really gotten lost in his life - any time he did, it turned out to be the place he'd rather be at (or needed to be at, thinking back to a couple of times people had tried to prank him by giving false directions) anyway - so the fact that they had found the ruins he was interested in shouldn't have surprised him. In fact, he probably should have expected it.

The ruins themselves were enchanting. It appeared to be what was left of some kind of shrine of temple. Moss covered the walls and flowers of every kind peaked through the cracks in the stone flooring. There were statues that were missing faces or limbs, pillars which had collapsed under time's cruel hand and sunlight shone though absent areas of the roof. The sound of wildlife was almost muted inside, and Link swore he could hear the sound of a young woman singing if he listened hard enough – though he could decipher the words. In the back of the room, trapped in the embrace of a winding flower, was an ancient sword stuck in a pedestal.

Link couldn't explain why he felt so connected the place, but he did. It felt important to him, like something he had lost was buried here. He chalked it up to his sense of adventure, that his desire to explore the unknown was what drew him to the mysterious temple. Or maybe it was his love for fairytales and myths, as Impa had always told him those to get him to fall asleep at night. Either way, he wanted to check out the temple, and he was glad he had an excuse to. It was exciting just thinking about the secrets locked away.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Link turned around to see Ganondorf behind him. His eyes were wide, alert, and he his gaze occasionally flickered, as if he were expecting an ambush of some kind. Though, his eyes seemed to constantly find themselves back on the ancient sword stuck in the pedestal – as if he expected the thing to suddenly fly out and impale him. He seemed anxious and frustrated, and it sent a shiver down Link's spine to see him like that. Whatever had gotten into him, he needed to snap out of it before he made a mistake he would regret.

"Gan, you're fine. This place is safe, nothing will hurt you. It's just an abandoned ruin. It's fine" Link stated.

That seemed to ease some of his tension, "That is the sword of legend, the bane of evil's blade, the master sword. My people don't exactly have a pleasant history with it. Seeing it up close like this…"

"Oh" now Link got why he was upset, "Don't worry. Unless you plan on declaring war on Hyrule, you'll be fine. Besides, I only the hero can wield it. I didn't see one on the way here."

"I just want to get out of here. It's a beautiful place but I can't stand the sight of that sword" Ganondorf sighed, then sent Link a look he couldn't read, "You should visit here again though. You might discover something interesting."

"I doubt it" he shrugged.

Something moved out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over, noticing he shadow. Then he paused, and looked at it again. He could feel Ganondorf's confused gaze on him, but Link ignored it as he studied the shadow on the wall. For a moment, he swore his shadow's eyes had glowed a deep red. Though now it seemed completely normal. It could be possibly for Link to have imagined it… but now, he could feel more than one pair of eyes on him. Through clenched teeth, the Hylian gave up on it and spared it one last glance.

"We should get going" Link stated.

Ganondorf looked as if he wanted to question what had happened, "That's a good idea. We wouldn't want to keep a lady waiting for her horse, would we?"

"I wouldn't mind doing this again. If you ever visit Castle Town" the boy stated.

"Neither would I" the Gerudo grinned, "So I will hold you to that statement."

As the left the ruins with the would-be king of the Gerudo telling a the young Hylian a funny story of his trip from the desert, something shifted in the temple. Out of the shadows materialized what looked like a Hylian. His skin was pale, which matched his hair, but his eyes were a deep red. His outfit was a black tunic with a red pattern slightly resembling the sword in the pedestal, dark brown pants and black boots. A sword strapped to his back was a black and red variation of the sword in the room as well. He grinned, which revealed extended canines that gave him a feral look.

A presence appeared beside him in a quick, feint flash of red and gold. This figure was taller and paler, his skin a sickly grey and eyes a dark brown. He wore a simple white outfit with diamond cutouts, a gold sash with a red diamond and a bright red cloak. Half of his face was covered by his own hair, and he appeared weaponless and under-dressed compared to the boy next to him. The red-eyed child looked up at him, a confident look rested in his eyes. The man simply sighed and shook his head in disappointment, boredom clearly evident on his face.

"It's a shame that we have to wait before we strike. I made a promise to that boy once, and I intend to keep it" the tall one stated, "I just wonder if his screams will be as lovely as the cries of pain I heard from his first incarnation."

That earned him a glare, "You can torture him right after I settle the score. Besides, I see no reason to wait. They were right there. It would've been easy."

"We need to make sure they actually have the Triforce pieces in this incarnation, otherwise all these plans that we've laid out will be ruined."

"Or we could kill them now, and hope that the Triforce just pops out of them."

The tall one glared this time, "You should be more like your light counterpart and keep your mouth shut more often. Honestly, the stupidity at that remark… Why would you even believe such an absurd plan would work?"

"My apologies, oh great Demon Lord. I'll do better to hold my tongue in your magnificent presence and learn from your endless amount of wisdom" the boy snickered.

"Says the shadow of hero. A shadow which carries less intelligence than a simple bokoblin" came the sharp retort.


	4. CH 3: The Past and Present

As Link and Ganondorf approached the Lon Lon Ranch, it was clear something was up. At least, that was what the Gerudo could tell from the Hylian's body language – he couldn't sense anything magically and nothing appeared out of the ordinary. It was unlikely the young man was wrong, as this incarnation as the hero there was a chance he'd be able to pick up on certain things, so the older man prepared for the worst. He noticed the blond shift a bit, as if he wanted to pick up speed, to get out of the area. There was a stubborn look to him, as he examined the ranch for anyone hiding in the shadows.

As they finally pulled up, Ganondorf realized what had gotten the little Hylian on edge.

Ganondorf had seen the princess's nursemaid multiple times in the past. She was strong, intimidating and admired the strength of every Gerudo but one. She knew her history well, so it would make sense for her to be wary around him. He couldn't tell her age, though she seemed rather youthful despite the fact she was older than he was. Her pure white hair was mostly tied back (there was a bit at the front that wasn't, though that seemed like a fashion choice more than anything). Her red eyes were clouded over, a clever trick to shield her emotions from the view of trained eyes. Though it was still very clear from her body language that she was pissed off. And her anger only increased when she noticed who Link had decided to have as his traveling companion.

Link ignored the Sheikah, apparently too invested in his horse to even glance up at her. Even as she approached him, he refused to acknowledge the fact that she stood behind him. The Gerudo was tempted to laugh at the behavior; a small gesture of endless courage. He held back, however, not interested in turning Lady Impa's ire on him. The blond finally lost, sighed and turned around to the woman behind him. His hand fiddled with the necklace again, eyes on it as he waited. The silence continued on for a bit longer, though Impa seemed to put an end to that when she realized that was best she'd get out of the Hylian.

"I came back earlier than expected. I was hoping to surprise you, I didn't realize you'd have a surprise for me" Impa waited for a reply and continued when she didn't get one, "What were you doing today,  _Little Wolf_?"

The redhead chuckled at the nickname, which earned him a glare. It didn't last, since Impa was clearly concerned for the younger boy, but it did keep Ganondorf quiet. The Gerudo undid his braid and redid his hair as he looked between the two. Link was silent still, though he made eye contact with the Sheikah now. The lack of words was unsettling, and reminded him of a couple of other blue-eyed blonds that plagued his nightmares. Memories that weren't his own threatened to surface again. He needed a distraction.

Thankfully, Impa decided to speak again, "I refuse to put up with silence Link. I thought you had gotten better with that. I'm worried about you, so I need you to give me a reason not to be."

Link still didn't budge, so Ganondorf decided to try his luck, "If I may, Lady Impa. Nothing Link and I had done was dangerous."

Impa ignored his statement. It appeared that Link and the Sheikah had engaged in some kind of staring contest and neither wanted to let up. Ganondorf wondered if this normal for the two – they seemed closer than other lifetimes allowed them to be. After a bit the Hylian turned away his gaze. A look that remained his of a mother in pain passed on Impa's face, before her harden stare returned.

She turned away from Link (who took it as a sign to lead his mare away) and faced the man from the desert, "Could you spare some time for a quick chat?"

"Anything for you, Lady Impa" he grinned.

Impa sent him a dark, but otherwise ignored the comment, "How do you know Link and what were you two doing?"

"I met him in Castle Town where some guy was trying to scam him. After I helped him out, he seemed upset about the fact that he didn't have the money on him to pay me back right then, so I asked if he'd show me something interesting. I haven't visited Hyrule before and, no offense to the Hylians, but the Fortress is a lot more exciting when there are markets" Ganondorf shrugged, "Link simply showed me some ruins he had found earlier, and we shared stories about the differences in our lands."

"And you two met by chance? You just happened to see someone who needed help?" she questioned.

Ganondorf chuckled, "It doesn't matter how I answer that since you'll still think I'm a threat either way."

"Are you using him?"

"Of course. Just like you and the princess will in the future."

If looks could kill, Ganondorf would have reincarnated a few times just from the glare Impa sent him, "I may not have given birth to him but I have raised him since he a child and care for him as if he was one of my own. If you have filled his head with nonsense, I swear to the goddesses that you'll regret it."

"I haven't said anything other than what I have told you. You will use him though - just like anyone else he meets. It's in his nature to be used" he shook his head, "To be a tool of destiny must be a cruel fate."

"Why do I have the feeling that you know something that I do not?" the Sheikah's tone was accusing and laced with a silent threat.

"I can assure you that I'm only hiding information that would hurt Link if the wrong people found out. I have plans for him, but I never said he wouldn't benefit from them - I never said that I would benefit from them either" the Gerudo king gave a sad smile, "We're on the same side when it comes to Link, Lady Impa. I can promise that when the time comes, we'll both want Link to succeed."

With that, Ganondorf decided to return the stallion he had borrowed to it's rightful place. Link had finished with Epona, and had returned to Impa. The Sheikah's ire had dwindled now that she was talking to her little Hylian, though Ganondorf's skill at reading lips didn't help - she was most likely speaking Sheikan. Link seemed more willing to talk to her now that they were alone. He seemed to grumble something along the lines of 'you wanted me to overcome my inhibitions' - which earned what looked like a sharp retort. The Gerudo grinned, perhaps he should have been more careful with his words to the Sheikah. No doubt she was even more wary of him now.

He sighed, there was no point in that now. It could be useful for her to hate him anyway, if he followed in the footsteps of his past-lives, he'd need someone to encourage the hero to wield the Bane of Evil's Blade against him. However, he doesn't plan on going evil. It seems like the dark influence over his lives has disappeared, but the Gerudo couldn't tell whether or not that should be considered a blessing or a curse. Either way, there was one thing that remained - the Triforce of Power still remained with him.

Impa apologized to an older man who most likely ran the ranch, while Link shared a farewell with Malon in the form of a hug. Afterwards, the Sheikah turned on her heel and left. Link turned to follow, but paused to give Ganondorf a wink which earned a laugh from the Gerudo. It appeared that Impa's speech didn't stick with the little hero of courage.

* * *

**_"Do you sleep still?"_ **

_Link lied on his back and stared up at the sky. At least, he thought to was the sky. It was dark and clouded, but it appeared endless. The ground only reflected the sky - or that was what Link hoped, he didn't like the idea of floating in the sky aimlessly. There was nothing in the void. He was cold - freezing cold - and lonely... lonelier than he'd ever been in his life._

**_"Don't you see? All of you... Your gods destroyed you!"_ **

_"Link, run! We'll be fine, but you got to run - take Epona and get away."_

_"But mom, what about you and father?"_

_"We'll be fine sweetheart - he's after you, not us."_

_"But why? Why can't you come with me? What does he want with me?"_

_"I don't know sweetheart. You need to leave now. I promise I'll come find you when it's all over."_

**_"I have been waiting for you, boy. For one like you... Yes... For the hero. Do not betray my expectations."_ **

_Link was drenched from the storm that brew as he clung to Epona. He heard his mother scream his father's name. He saw her armed with a bow before he left. He couldn't turn back though. His mother told him not to. And the scary many was still there. The man who asked for him by his name - who killed the mayor just because he opposed the man._

_A scream of agony was cut off by thunder._

_Some part of Link wanted to collapse. He wanted to cry until his eye bled and scream until his throat gave up on him._

_He knew... he knew that his mother would not find him when this was over..._

**_"It looks like you may be gaining some slight skill..."_ **

_He wanted to struggle. He hated these memories more than anything - they plagued his nightmares for years. The voice, however, was new and familiar, which confused Link more than anything. Until Link was dragged back into his memories once more._

_There was a commotion outside of his window. Link was curious, the village was usually quiet. His parents were probably headed towards the front of the village with everyone else anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to get a closer look at what had gained everyone else's attention. After all, he'd only be there to find his parents and then he'd be able to leave. So there couldn't be anything wrong with that._

_There was a stranger who wore clothing that Link was certain was inappropriate. He was alone and sat on the roof of a small house that had been empty for a few years. Everything about him, except his bright red cape-cloak thing, was pale. But there was something about him that made Link a little scared and worried. His mother placed a hand on his should just as he began to speak._

_"Got your attention, have I? Good. I'm actually looking for someone I believe to be around here. A small little Hylian boy, gold hair and blue eyes. His name should be Link. My master so desperately wants to talk to him."_

_A man he recognized as the mayor, the father of his best friend Ilia, stepped up, "Excuse me, but I think you're mistaken. There is no one by that name here."_

_His mother slowly pulled him behind her as his father moved his hand to his sword. The stranger sighed, "Anyone who decides to get in my way will be eliminated - so if you wish to keep your lives, you'll hand him over without a fuss."_

_Multiple men drew their swords at that threat, a couple stepped forward. Everyone else grabbed their loved ones and ran. Link looked back as his mother tugged him away, the man had stabbed multiple men with small knives just with a snap of his fingers._

**_"Do you realize who you're dealing with?"_ **

_"Are you alright, little one?"_

_Link had been huddled in a tight ball, Epona refused to live his side as his sobbed in his hiding place. The woman who asked the question looked strange. Like the scary man she had white hair. But she had slightly tanned skin, and her red eyes held a kindness to them. Link didn't respond, but he didn't protest as she lifted him up, wrapped him in a towel and cradled him to her chest in one arm with more ease than Link would have thought._

_"Are you from Ordon Village?"_

_That got a nod, though it was very slight. The woman's gaze filled with pity as she carried him with her, with Epona in tow, back to her camp. A bunch of soldiers also camped with her, a few tried to question her but they went silent at her command for some privacy. She asked one kind man to retrieve some food and water, before she entered what she assumed was her own tent. She placed him down gently and smiled._

_"My name is Impa. I'm a Sheikah who serves the royal family and protects them from harm. I promise you, little one, that you will be safe. Nothing bad will happen as long as I am here. Would you like to stay with me while we try to find out what happened in your village."_

_Link nodded, though tears filled his eyes as he did. Arms circled him in a comforting embrace, "It's alright little one. Everything will be better one day. And I'll make certain that that day is sooner rather than later."_

**_"The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"_ **

_"Well at least your appetite is healthy. Perhaps I should call you my little wolf from now on, hm?"_

_Link probably should've been more polite to the kind lady who had just saved him. But he hadn't eaten in awhile. The clothing he had gotten from was an over-sized shirt which Impa had cut the sleeves of to allow easy movement. Impa told him that until they found other survivors, she'd take care of him. That meant he'd spend a lot of time at the castle. He'd get to meet the princess, and a young Sheikah boy only a little bit older than him. She'd also teach him swordplay and archery if he wanted to learn._

_She wanted him distracted, that much was clear. He liked that, he didn't want to think about what had happened. He liked Impa's stories anyway, they were funny and managed to get him to smile a bit. And she made him feel a little bit better with promises of fun and exciting things that he'd be allowed to do when he got to the castle. She even mentioned that if he wanted to stay with her permanently, than he could._

_That made him happy. He highly doubted anyone in his village wanted to see him again._

_He was the reason why everyone had died, after all._

**_"An impressive looking blade... but nothing more."_ **

**_"You need to wake up, Master Link."_ **

* * *

Link jolted awake, which resulted in him hitting his head on something. He muttered a curse at whatever the object was and blinked a few times until he regained his sight. He was surprised he hadn't woken up sooner - Zelda and Sheik clashed together, Zelda wielded a saber while focused mainly with their knives. It wasn't a quiet battle at all. He remember the beginning, where Impa had instructed them to show her how much the princess had improves since her last lesson with Impa. He must have dozed off during the fight.

"I see you're awake. Was it the same nightmares?"

Impa passed Link a drink of water which he eagerly gulped before he replied, "I guess. It was different this time."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"You where there. I remembered our first meeting. And there was voices that said things I didn't understand. The first voice was terrifying and threatening... the last one I heard was soft and kind though. It was what woke me up" Link sighed.

The Sheikah rested her hand around his shoulders, "It's been awhile since you last had those nightmares. Any idea what caused them?"

"Not a clue" Link glared at the ground, "But now I finally remembered what the man who killed my village looked like."

Impa rose to her feet in an instant, "I can call in a couple of favors. I don't doubt I can get the king to have his men look for this man either - he's a huge threat to the safety of Hyrule. We can bring him in."

"He could summon weapons with a snap of his fingers. He could teleport. I don't think he'd be that easy to take down, Impa" Link placed his head in his hands, "He wanted me for something. He said his master wanted to talk to me. He killed everyone that decided to protect me from him... I really was the reason my village was destroyed."

"Link.  _Little Wolf_ , look at me" he did so, and she continued, "Whoever the man was, he committed a crime and needs to be punished for it. I don't know what his master could have wanted you for-"

Impa stopped suddenly as her gaze clouded over again. She had taught Link how to read body language, and he knew she had recalled something. That surprised him, as far as he was concerned, she shouldn't know anything relating to that man, let alone recall something about him. The Sheikah snapped out of her thoughts, and turned to face Link. There was a determined gleam in her eyes this time.

"Tell me everything you remember,  _Little Wolf_. I think I know someone who may know more about this man and might be willing to help" Link's eyes widened at that.

"Who?" Impa shook her head.

"I won't say yet, until I know whether or not they really know what's going on. But if they do, I promise you that we'll take down this man together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I realized that not everyone may understand my choices in why certain characters are described the way they are, I thought I'd add this in here. Here is a short list on what certain characters are based off in terms of design and why I went with them. 
> 
> Impa: Based on her Hyrule Warriors appearance for no reason other than aesthetic. Yeah, I consider aesthetic a valid reason.
> 
> Zelda: Since this Zelda is a little different from the others (though not by much) I decided not to really base her off any one of the games in particular. Her dresses are actually bejeweled battle outfits with skirts to make them look more princess-like and her hair is short. She's got the usual blonde and blue eyes combo. 
> 
> Link: I based him off of Breath of the Wild Link (except his tunic is in green, and he hasn't gotten it yet) and Hyrule Warriors Link. Like the two of them where merged together. This is mostly because Hyrule Warriors really points out that Link gets a lot of girls fawning over him (I mean, HW Link started a war because he was handsome) and I figured it would be a little bit of joke for us to admire. You don’t get it yet, but you will. 
> 
> Ganondorf: Completely not canon - his height is based off of the shortest height he's ever had in any of the canon games and his build is a lot similar (not as much as Link, but getting there). His hair - as described in this chapter, is in a thin braid. A hairstyle he hasn't had in the series. This design was actually lightly inspired by some fanart I saw someone make http://lang95.tumblr.com/post/117509473778/zelgan-week-day-4-legacy-and-redemption so there's that.
> 
> Sheik: Is other merge character - this time it's Hyrule Warriors and Ocarina of Time. Sheik is very androgynous in terms of appearance - which fits well since they're nonbinary.
> 
> Anyway, that’s the only characters that have multiple designs that actually matter so far (I ain’t giving away every plot point). By the way, guys, you don’t have to comment but I’d appreciate it if you did. There are two reasons I’m writing this. This first is for my enjoyment. The second is for your enjoyment. If you really want to see something, then comment and I’ll consider adding it. If you see some chemistry bubbling between certain characters, tell me and I’ll see if I want to add that as a ship.
> 
> Just don't start ship wars. Or I'll ignore your comments and do something else. 
> 
> Also, I really love Mama Bear Impa~
> 
> I changed the summary to something better since I remembered that AO3 has a more reasonable limit for their summaries than FFN does. So now the summary is less boring and less confusing.


End file.
